Weekend Fling with the Surgeon

Ryder, who’d been watching the interplay while still avoiding making eye contact with McKenzie, gave her mom a half-smile. “Thanks. I’d like that. I’ve enjoyed my first visit.”

His only visit? How crazy that his doing what she wanted, pretending to be her boyfriend, left her unable to know how to take anything he did or said when her family was around. Would he really like to come back or had he just said that?

Ugh. McKenzie’s brain hurt. She had no one to blame but herself. But the smiles on everyone’s faces all weekend, the lack of worrying about how heartbroken she’d been when she moved to Seattle and no new worries over Paul having done the same just over a month ago had been worth it.

Odd, it seemed a lifetime ago since she’d been involved with Paul, planning to spend the rest of her life with him, and yet it really hadn’t been that long ago.

McKenzie got her coffee, joined the others at the table, and pretended that she wasn’t hyperaware of Ryder being next to her.

She’d not had awkward mornings-after with Clay or Paul. At least, not that she recalled. Then again, she’d not had incredible nights with them, either. Just... She glanced toward Ryder, willing him to look up and smile at her, anything, just some sign that things were going to be okay. That when this was all said and done, they’d at least be friends.

McKenzie never got her smile.

The morning passed quickly with lots of family stopping by to say their goodbyes.

No one commented on the tension between her and Ryder. It seemed impossible that they couldn’t have picked up on it, and she wondered if they knew what they’d been up to during the night.

They’d kept the noise down. At least, she thought so. The reality was, she’d been so caught up in Ryder, she really didn’t know how much noise they’d made.

Regardless of what her family knew or didn’t know, they’d given lots of heartfelt goodbyes, well-wishes and pleas to come visit again soon.

McKenzie would.

Hopefully she’d make it home at Christmas or the week after Christmas.

By the time they were in the rental van on their way toward Nashville Airport, McKenzie was an emotional mess. From saying goodbye to her family, to knowing she was about to board a plane, to not knowing how Ryder really felt about what had happened between them.

She gripped the steering wheel tighter than necessary, cast a glance toward where he fiddled with his phone.

“Thank you for coming with me, Ryder.”

He looked her way. “Sure thing.”

“My family loved you. The trip couldn’t have been any more wonderful. I really do owe you.”

“I’m glad it all worked out.”

Maybe they would have progressed to beyond pleasantries, but Ryder’s phone rang.

McKenzie could tell the call was from someone at the hospital. When that call finished, he made another, checking on a patient. Was he purposely avoiding talking with her?

Was he worried she’d read too much into the night before? Afraid she was going to expect more from him?

Did he not realize the thought of diving into another relationship scared her almost as much as flying?

She sighed.

He’d given her what he’d agreed to, gone above and beyond. What had she expected? For him to date her a few years, then dump her?

Much better if they had their one night and left it at that.

Only the thought that they’d go back to how things were before didn’t feel right. She didn’t want that. She wanted... She didn’t know what she wanted, but not for them to go back to completely avoiding each other.

They had an hour to kill at the airport, found seats near their terminal, but were surrounded by other passengers waiting on their flight, precluding any real conversation.

Ryder wandered off, came back with a book, and started reading.

Yep. That was a sure sign he didn’t plan on them talking on the plane. Maybe he thought there was nothing